


The Living Years

by orphan_account



Series: Totally '80s [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-26
Updated: 2012-01-26
Packaged: 2017-10-30 04:19:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/327653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur and Merlin get used to life in the real world, with a few bumps along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I am the Man

**Author's Note:**

> This is the next part of my "Totally '80s" modern AU.

It wasn’t always easy.  
  
Merlin was constantly juggling his work as Arthur’s assistant and unofficial PR agent, as well as finding the time to not only produce new pieces, but present and sell them as well. But Merlin insisted on remaining his assistant, as he knew how much Arthur loathed the times when he was away and Arthur had to rely on Guinevere to fill in the gaps. It wasn’t that Guinevere was a poor assistant – she simply was not, nor would she ever be, Merlin. And so the insanity of Merlin’s work schedule continued.  
  
This week, Arthur felt as though the only times he saw his partner were when he raced out of the shower at 6am after hastily washing off the paint which somehow always managed to get in his hair and on his nose, and then when he would drop off more paperwork for Arthur to sign on his desk at work. They had not sat down to eat a meal together since Sunday afternoon, and try as he might to get past it, Arthur was feeling neglected.  
  
He finished signing off on another approval for a new client, who insisted he had found the solution to the rapid loss of flavor in gluten-free gum, and then he looked balefully over at the ever-present pile of forms, the only sign that Merlin had been here in the last hour – probably while Arthur was in the bathroom fifteen minutes ago, since Arthur had never actually seen him.  
  
Sighing, he turned instead to check is inbox, hoping against hope that there was something mildly interesting to look at under the guise of being productive.  
  
And right at the top there was a message from – yes, truly! – Merlin Emrys, under the subject line, “Click Me :(.” Well, alright.  
  
All the e-mail contained was a link to a video. Glancing around to make sure no one was walking by his glass-walled office – and honestly, couldn’t they have chosen a material that was slightly more soundproof? – Arthur turned the volume down low and clicked the link, and the sweet, big band sounds of Chicago filled the room.  
  
He let the song play until the end and then replied, “Just because I hardly ever see you, doesn’t mean I won’t still Love You Tomorrow, you girl.”  
  
A few minutes later when he refreshed the page, there was a reply with a link to _The Glory of Love_ , under the subject line, “I am The Man who will fight for your honor.”  
  
He zinged back with the message, “Sure you are. Will you be able to have dinner tonight, or will you be in your studio again?”  
  
When he looked back at his inbox after having a brief conversation with Bayard Mercer, the man who owned the other half of his father’s company, in regards to a dispute over who would handle Sophia Sidhe’s case, there was yet another reply from his partner. It said simply, “I’ll be there,” and was accompanied by a link to Sly Fox’s _Let’s Go All The Way_.  



	2. Sendin' All My Love Across the Wire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur gets a text at work.

A _buzz_ ing sound caused Arthur to slip a hand into his pocket, retrieving his cell. He looked at the name on the message and furrowed his brow. He and Merlin were not supposed to talk until the gallery closed for the night.  
  
And then the rate of his heart began to rise in trepidation. What if something was wrong? If Merlin had passed out during a show because he forgot to eat again, Arthur didn’t know what he was going to do. He was here, and Merlin was there and… he was never allowing Merlin to travel alone ever again.  
  
He hurried outside of Pendragon & Mercer, feeling anxious and uncertain, two things which he absolutely loathed.  
  
At last, he hit, “Play,” and then felt his nose wrinkle and his lips curl up in a silly, infatuated, incredibly relieved grin.  
  
Because Merlin’s voice emanated from the tiny speaker, singing Journey’s _Faithfully_ softly and completely out of tune.  
  
As the final bar came to a close, Arthur shook his head and hit “Reply,” texting back, “I love you, too. Idiot. PS: Don’t ever quit your day job.”  
  
That done, he went back to his desk completely happy for the first time since Merlin left for New York on a dreary Monday morning two weeks ago.


	3. Here Comes the Rain Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's raining, and Arthur feels rather grumpy about it.

Arthur stared out of his office window, utterly despondent. He had been looking forward to spending his lunch break sitting outside _Mary’s Bistro_ , listening to Merlin natter on about this, that, or the other thing, but with this dreadful downpour there was no way they would be able to do it. They could simply eat inside, but Arthur hated how crowded it always felt in there, and Mary, bless her, had no idea how obvious her crush on his partner was.  
  
So he was stuck contemplating whether to go to the vending machine or the staff room, and pray they still had some leftover doughnuts.  
  
Just then, the infectious sounds of Eurythmics came to his ears, “Here comes the rain again, falling on my head like a memory, falling on my head like a new emotion.” He looked up, raising an incredulous eyebrow, to see Merlin approaching, playing music from Arthur’s own iPod as loud as it would go and carrying a bag that said, _Mary’s_ on the si de, from which wafted the glorious smells of ham and cheese paninis and tomato basil soup, along with two Cokes in one of those ridiculous drink holders that, more often than not, caused more accidents than they prevented.  
  
“Did you go home just so you could steal my iPod? _Really?_ ” Because he refused to melt at this – this – Arthur supposed he would be forced to call it chivalry, though the prospect was irksome at best. Wasn’t he, the rising star in patent law and former college rugby god, meant to be the chivalrous one?  
  
But then, they had never really been ones for honoring stereotypes.  
  
“I bring you delicious food, and your favorite tunes, and all you can do is focus on the fact that I nicked your iPod? What happened to ‘what’s mine is yours, love’?” And that was a truly horrendous imitation of Arthur’s voice, if he did say so himself. _Honestly_.  
  
Arthur huffed and then stood, taking the slightly cumbersome takeaway bag from his partner’s hands and together they set about laying everything out on his desk, carefully keeping it all away from anything electronic; Merlin was death to any technological device with drinks, soups, and other liquids. Arthur had already replaced his work computer twice for this very reason.  
  
As he let the warm, rich, sweet and savory taste of Mary’s tomato basil wash over his tongue, the mellow sounds of Toto’s _Africa_ washed over his ears, and he looked up at Merlin and smiled. Right at this moment, Arthur could definitely “bless the rain” – after all, it led to this: one more moment in what would hopefully be a lifetime of moments of complete and utter joy with the one he loved.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so ends the story which started with just a 200 word piece that then had so much more to say.

**Author's Note:**

> The one song in here that is not actually named is called, _Love Me Tomorrow_ by Chicago. And it is gorgeous and sweet. And I love it way too much.


End file.
